Process of making fertilizer.



To all whom it may concern.

. fication.

It is well known. that the phosphate of.

.soluble form by chemical treatment UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SPENCER B. NEWBERRY, OF SANDUSKY, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO GEORGE B.

FISHBURNE, OE CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA.

PROCESS OF MAKING FERTILIZER.

No Drawing.

Be it known that I, SPENCER B. NEWBERRY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sandusky, in the county of Erie and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and use- Fertilizer, of which the following is a specilime contained in native phosphate rocl and apatite is present in these materials in an insoluble form, and it is not available for absorption by plants until converted into a The process practically universally followed is treatment by sulfuric acid.

I have found that a product of high fertilizing value, in which nearly all the phosphoric acid is in the citrate soluble condi-' tion, may be obtained by grinding native or mineral phosphate. rock or bone phosphate with lime, adding tothe mixture a relatively small amount of a flux consisting of soda orpotash in carbonate form, calcining the mixture at an orange or white heat, preferably in rotary kilns in amanner similar to the burning of Portland cement, and grinding to powderthe semi-fused product of the-calcination.- I

In place of lime, carbonate of-lime, gypsum, or other limecompound which is convertedinto lime at the temperature of calcination, may be employed.

The am'ount'of lime and soda or potash required varies with the composition of the phosphate treated; I have, however, obtained the best results by the use of an amount of lime approximately equal to the total phosphoric acid, and an amount of sodium carbonate approximately equal to one-half the phosphoric acid present. One

hundred parts of a phosphate rock contam ing 30 per centfphosphorie acid would therefore requireapproximately 30 parts lime and 15 parts sodium carbonate, or equivalent amounts of other compounds of lime and soda. i

B the above described process I obtain a .pro not in' which all but. an insignificant and therefore not readily leached out and carried away by the percolation of water through the soil. a

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The process of conversion of insoluble phosphate of lime into citrate soluble form by calcination with lime and an alkaline carbonate. I

2. The process of conversion of insoluble v .Speeification of Let ers Patent. Patented Dec, 13, 1910.

Application filed August 24, 1908. Serial No. 450.044.

phosphate of lime into citrate soluble form by calcination with an amount of lime approximately equal to the phosphoric acid, and an amount of sodium carbonate approximately equal to one-half the phosphoric acid, contained in thcphosphate treated.

3. The process of conversion of insoluble phosphate of lime into citr. te soluble form by calcination with lime and alkali.

In testimony whereof I afilx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SPENCER B. NEWBERRY. Witnesses:

I. H. NUBER, LOUIS F. STEIN. 

